The world’s infrastructure is crumbling, so we’re seeing a rise in bridges that need to be replaced. That’s good news for the companies that build those bridges and for those of us that enjoy a good demolition video. People have certainly gotten more creative with how these demolitions are filmed and this latest video your about to see gives you the ability to see the same demolition from 4 different angles and in different speeds.
The Merafield Bridge, near Plymouth, England was built in 1969 and has suffered from Alkalai-Silica Reaction, which is commonly referred to as “concrete cancer.” Alkalai-Silica Reaction creates spalling due to a gel being formed inside the concrete that expands with water. As the gel expands, pressure builds up in the structure and the concrete cracks. The demolition of the old bridge is part of a $9.1 million (£6.3 million) project that will also include a brand new 262 foot long (80m) bridge. The new bridge will require 2,503 tons of concrete and 401 tons of steel.
In order to bring down the old bridge, crews drilled 278 holes and packed in 110 pounds (50kg) of explosives, according to the Daily Mail. The end result was a middle of the night fireworks show followed by a giant cloud of smoke. You can watch the incredible footage, uploaded to Youtube by SWNS TV, below:
In November of last year, the 546 foot tall Mina Plaza in Abu Dhabi officially broke the world record for tallest demolition by explosion, supplanting Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan, which held the record for 22 years.